President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the discovery of a new natural gas reservoir at the Malampaya Field, marking the country’s first major gas discovery in more than 10 years.
The newly identified reservoir, named Malampaya East 1 or MAE-1, is located about five kilometers east of the existing Malampaya Field. According to the president, initial estimates place the gas in place at about 98 billion cubic feet, equivalent to roughly 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
Based on current projections, the volume of gas could supply electricity to more than 5.7 million households, 9,500 buildings or nearly 200,000 schools for one year.
Results of initial testing showed a gas flow rate of up to 60 million cubic feet per day, indicating high productivity. The output was described as comparable to the early gas wells of the Malampaya Field.
In addition to natural gas, the MAE-1 well also contains condensate, a high-value liquid fuel that is expected to help support the country’s power supply.
Marcos said Filipino workers led the drilling operations, which were completed without any reported accidents or environmental incidents.
The MAE-1 well serves as the first milestone under the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling campaign. The program also includes the Camago-2, Camago-3 and Bagong Pag-asa wells, which aim to further explore potential gas resources in the area.
The project is being carried out through the SC-38 Consortium led by Prime Energy, in partnership with UC-38, PNOC Exploration Corporation and Prime Oil and Gas Inc.
The president said the discovery highlights how responsible energy development and cooperation between the government and private sector can help strengthen a reliable and long-term energy supply for Filipinos.
